Kasteel Winter Ale
Brouwerij Van Honsebrouck makes one of my favorite Belgian ales in the form of Kasteel Tripel. It’s a big beer that I love to set down for a couple years and one that comes through each and every time. I’m also a huge fan of holiday-oriented Belgian beer. So, when I spied a couple of small bottles of the brand’s winter ale, it was a no-brainer to add them to the purchase.
Kasteel Winter is a 11% ABV Belgian strong dark ale. This particular bottle just appeared on shelves within the past 2-3 weeks, but has a packaging date of 6/26/2013. I knew that when I purchased the beer, but figured that, given the style, it would still be a worthy drinking experience. And, for the most part, I was right. This bottle has held up well enough to still present dark fruits, spices and warming alcohol.
Appearance
The beer pours with a small cap of beige foam atop dark, dark chestnut brown.
Aroma
Raisin, fig, bread, soft burnt caramel, a hint of cocoa, distant spices and smooth alcohol all come together pretty well.
Taste
The age on the beer shows through more here than on the nose, but not necessarily in a bad way. Dark fruits, a fruit-cake like character, caramel and warming alcohol are all present. The beer feels a bit thin on the palate, but still tastes pretty darn good. A moderate-to-high level of sweetness fades slowly through the drying, lasting finish.
Overall
I knew going in that this was an older bottle of beer and I wasn’t at all sure how it had been kept over the past two years, but figured I’d take a crack at it anyways. All in all, Kasteel Winter Ale has held up pretty well. It’s not as dynamic as some of the other Belgian holiday/Winter offerings, but it still delivered a tasty experience.
Rating: 3.75/5
